Shillong, June 11 (IANS) A 55-year-old Bangladeshi Hindu man remained stranded in no-man’s land along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya’s South West Garo Hills district after attempts by border forces of the two countries to resolve the issue failed, officials said on Thursday.
The man, identified as Sati Rajbanshi, son of late Baghbatta Rajbanshi, is a resident of Chalna village under Narayanpur Post Office and Gudagari Police Station in Bangladesh’s Rajshahi district.
According to officials, Rajbanshi has been stuck in the Nandir Char sector near Mahendraganj on Wednesday following a tense standoff between India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
BSF officials said that flag meetings were held between the two border-guarding forces to resolve the matter, but no breakthrough could be achieved, leaving the man stranded in the disputed stretch between the two countries.
Sources in the BSF alleged that Rajbanshi was picked up from his native village by Bangladeshi authorities and personnel of the BGB and was subsequently brought to the international border with an attempt to push him into Indian territory.
The BSF, however, denied allegations that it had facilitated or initiated any movement across the border.
Officials maintained that the man is a Bangladeshi national and rejected efforts to force his entry into India.
BSF sources further claimed that Rajbanshi may have been targeted because he belongs to the Hindu minority community in Bangladesh. They also alleged that similar incidents have been observed in some other sectors along the India-Bangladesh border, including parts of West Bengal.
According to the sources, such actions appeared aimed at creating artificial border tensions and complications. However, these allegations could not be independently verified.
The incident comes amid heightened surveillance and intensified efforts by Indian authorities to prevent illegal infiltration along the eastern frontier.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently reiterated that the state government would continue strict measures to identify and deport undocumented foreign nationals residing illegally in the state.
Meanwhile, no official public statement has been issued by the Border Guard Bangladesh or senior Bangladeshi authorities regarding the specific allegations made by the BSF.
Officials said security personnel from both sides remain deployed in the area and are monitoring the situation closely as efforts continue to find a resolution to the humanitarian and diplomatic impasse.
–IANS
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